Q. Dear Help Desk Coach:

In a recent management meeting, one of the managers criticized the help desk, saying the engineers have no idea what the business units they support actually do. That comment stung.

My engineers are very good at supporting hardware, software and numerous devices and I thought they were doing a great job. How can I address this criticism?

Signed,

Technology Manager Tim

A. Dear Tim:

This isn’t an unusual comment about tech support. Your engineers no doubt are very adept technically, however might not understand the environment of your users.

Users find support more relevant and targeted when the support engineer understands how the technology is used in the user’s environment to get the job done. Send your engineers out to the various business units and ask users to explain what they do and how they use technology.

Understanding the goals and focus of each business unit will help your engineers better address user priorities and issues. This insight can streamline support efforts, build rapport, and increase user satisfaction.

My suggestion is you start by visiting the most critical manager’s business unit. Next visit the business unit with the most tickets. As you move through the business units, collect feedback on how the support function can better address user needs.

I wish you success in learning more about your organization and raising the bar on user satisfaction.

Signed,

Help Desk Coach

© Donna Earl 2018